For most of us, we go to bed in the late-night hours and wake up early for work, feeling sluggish and heavy. Then, when the weekend rolls around, we barely budge from bed in the morning as we try to soak up every extra minute of sleep. As much as you live this experience, you're even less excited reading it. We don't blame you.
Our current lives aren't structured for us to be well-rested. We work long hours, spend the evening catching up on chores, and by the time we get to sit back and relax, it's already late. So how can you stay in tune with your body when your day-to-day life is full of obligations and stress?
What we keep forgetting is that we are connected to the earth. Yes, it sounds a little hippy, but it's true. Our bodies are set to nature. When the sun rises, we're supposed to rise. When the sun sets, we're supposed to sleep. The sunlight gives our bodies the energy we need, while the dark lets our bodies rejuvenate for the following day.
This is why we recommend changing your daily routine to fit your natural sleep/wake cycle. Is it going to be easy? Of course, not. Nothing is easy in the beginning. But you will gain enormous benefits by rising with the sun. What are those benefits? Let us show you.
Become more productive
When you wake up early, there are generally fewer distractions, which allows you to achieve more within that time. Your mind is fresh, so you can make clear decisions, and you have the energy to achieve your goals. When waking up early, people tend to achieve more during the day.
Have more “me” time
Self-care is more than just having a bath once a week; it needs to be a part of your daily routine. But when you work full-time and/or have children, you don't really get the "me" time you need. Rising with the sun before your day starts gives you the chance to focus on yourself. Whether going outside or having red light therapy treatment, you decide how you want to care for yourself.
Increase your energy
When you rise with the sun, you have the chance to start your morning with a boost of energy. Go out for a walk or a run, boost your energy levels with the sun. We spend most of our day sitting, which has an extreme effect on our mood. But rising early gives you time to sweat.
More sunshine = better mood
Who doesn't want to be in a good mood? Yet, it's impossible to feel good when you're not getting proper sleep. Rise with the sun as you start your day soaking up the natural sunlight. If it's winter, you can use a red light therapy device to mimic natural light and help your body maintain healthy levels of vitamin D. When your body has optimal levels of vitamin D, your body produces serotonin which is directly responsible for your energy levels and mood. So, sunshine does make you happy.
Connect with your circadian rhythm
Most of us aren’t connected to our circadian rhythm, but it’s time you embrace your internal clock. Your body has a natural sleep/wake cycle it follows. However, most of the time, we don’t listen to it. Aim to get to bed at an earlier hour, spending some time before relaxing your body and mind. Stay away from your artificial light such as tv or your phone. Give your body time to naturally unwind for better sleep.
Luckily, Kaiyan Medical produces MDSAP-certified and FDA-approved light therapy products and devices for your own at-home treatment or even for your patients. We've worked hard to provide solutions for both patients and healthcare practitioners, catering to various needs. Whether you're looking to private label your own light therapy devices or for home use, contact our team, as we would love to help you through your light therapy journey.
While most of us have heard of the ability to hack computers, smartphones, and emails, most aren’t as familiar with hacking the human body. Enter: biohacking.
While it may sound a little out-of-this-world, biohacking is essentially do-it-yourself biology. Biohackers make small changes in their diet or lifestyle to improve their overall well-being and health.
While you’ll find online people selling you different types of biohacking, there are only a few worth mentioning, one being red light therapy. Biohacking methods, like red light therapy, provide the body with more energy and strength, accelerating performance and speed.
What is biohacking?
Let’s dive a bit deeper on this topic.
Biohacking is the practice of changing the body’s chemistry through science and trial and error. In other words, what may work for one person will not work for another.
However, with biohacking, the concept is that we have the power to alter our bodies and brains to become the best versions of ourselves. Essentially, biohacking allows you to take control of your own biology.
Biohacking with light therapy: how light affects the body
You may be struggling with depression, mood swings, skin conditions, inflammation, muscle recovery, or sleep. Luckily, the practice of biohacking with red light therapy has been scientifically proven to affect the body on the cellular level positively. In layman's terms, instead of dealing with symptoms, red light therapy focuses on healing the root issue while improving one’s overall wellness.
A review in The Journal of Rheumatology found that the best treatment for people who have rheumatoid arthritis was via red light therapy treatment. Red light therapy helps the cells rejuvenate for muscle recovery, speeding up recovery time and stimulating muscle growth. One study from the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that muscle thickness and strength were significantly improved (over 50%) in participants who used red light therapy. For those who suffer from sleep disorders, red light and near-infrared light helps regulate the circadian rhythm and increases natural melatonin production for improved and deep sleep.
The studies show that the human body responds positively to red and near-infrared wavelengths, ranging from 600 to 900 nm. These wavelengths penetrate through the skin, stimulating ATP production in the cell’s mitochondria. As a result, damaged cells are rejuvenated, and new cells are produced, quickening the healing process the body goes through.
This is why red light therapy has become a staple in the biohacking community. Treatments do not focus on one issue; rather it provides the body with multiple healing properties.
Dave Asprey, one of the leaders of the biohacking movement, says, “Light is a massive signal for the brain, the skin, and every cell in your body. Red light, generally, is going to make you feel better and look better.”
If you’ve been wondering, “is red light therapy safe for my skin and eyes?” The answer is yes. Red light therapy is a non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatment that can be used on a routine basis without major side effects. That said, we always recommend that you consult your physician before doing anything.
Is biohacking the future of health?
More and more people are looking for non-invasive and non-pharmacological ways to attain better health and wellness. People want control over their bodies and are straying away from traditional methods such as prescription medication. While that’s happening, biohacking is continuing to develop and implement realistic and non-harmful ways to improve one’s well-being and overall health.
At Kaiyan, we’re one step ahead of the game as we focus on manufacturing MDA-certified and FDA-approved light therapy devices for a wide range of purposes, whether they’re for at-home or clinical use.
If you’re interested in creating a private label for professional use, we highly recommend you contact our team for more information on the process. We’d love to work with you and open up the possibilities of light therapy to people who want to change their lives for the better.
As humans, we are made of energy and fueled by light. While nutrition and exercise play a role in our well-being and health, light plays a crucial role in us functioning optimally. New and groundbreaking research is unearthing a new understanding of how our cells function and the evidence points to the power of light.
Through technological advancements in science, it’s discovered that our bodies operate similar to a battery. Wavelengths of light give us power, while our overall health determines our ability to receive and maintain the energy from light. And this is where light therapy comes into the equation.
Science has proven that our bodies interact with specific wavelengths that benefit our bodies in various ways.
Red light therapy devices, such as light therapy masks, shine red and near-infrared light onto the skin, stimulating the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the mitochondria. By stimulating ATP, damaged cells heal, and new cells are produced faster than normal. But we’ll talk more about that in-depth a little later.
Red light therapy comprises both red light and infrared wavelengths, penetrating through the skin’s layers, right into the cells. Red light wavelengths boost collagen and elastin and improve cell communication. It penetrates superficially and helps aid various skin conditions.
Near-infrared wavelengths stimulate healing, increase mitochondrial function, and improve blood flow and tissue oxygenation. Near-infrared wavelengths penetrate deeply into the body.
At the core of your body’s healing capabilities are the mitochondria. The mitochondria play a vital role in your internal organs and tissue, including the liver, skin, heart, and muscles. It’s in charge of the body’s energy supply via ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
With both working together, they provide energy to our body and maintain the cell cycle and growth. This is why you’ll often hear the mitochondria referred to as the “powerhouse of the cell.”
Here's how the mitochondria is affected by red light:
Interestingly, our body weight is made of 70% water, with 99% of our bodies' molecules also made of water, making it a powerful component in red light therapy treatment.
Research by Prof Gerald Pollock of the University of Washington proved that water adjacent to a cell is structured water, also known as EZ water. This specific water forms a separation of charge, functioning in the body as positive and negative poles - similar to a battery.
While we’ve been talking about red light therapy, what does it actually mean? Typically, “red light therapy” refers to natural light treatments which deliver red and near-infrared wavelengths as natural sunlight using LEDs or cold lasers.
While you may think red light therapy includes all colors of light, it doesn’t. The term doesn’t include blue or white light, and it isn’t equivalent to full-spectrum light. Red light therapy doesn’t rely on heat, differentiating it from other light-based treatments such as infrared saunas and heat therapy.
Red light therapy is also known as RLT, photobiomodulation (PBM), phototherapy, LED therapy, LED light therapy, infrared therapy, low-level laser therapy, or low-level light therapy (LLLT).
As stated before, red light therapy works to heal the entire body and functions on multiple levels.
Red light therapy affects the body in multiple ways, including bodily systems:
Fascia
Fascia is the thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds virtually every organ, muscle, nerve fiber, blood vessel, and bone in place. While it performs as an internal structure for your body, the fascia also contains nerves, making it almost as sensitive as skin.
The fascia may look like a layer of tissue; however, it’s made up of interwoven layers of collagen and elastin fibers. The fascia is overlooked, yet over recent years, it has been the key to understanding how changes in one area of our body affect others. Red light therapy works to improve communication within the fascia network.
Gut-Brain Axis
The gut-brain axis connects the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions. Recent research discovered the importance of gut microbiota concerning these interactions.
Red light therapy can positively influence mood and neuropsychological issues by the following:
Immune System
Red and near-infrared light penetrate through the skin into the cells, which results in low-dose metabolic stress that strengthens the cells’ anti-inflammatory and natural defense systems. In turn, the body becomes resilient to infections.
Safe and low exposure to red light therapy improves the body’s response to external viruses and bacteria. Red light therapy can influence the immune response in the following ways:
Circulatory System
Red light therapy is scientifically proven to increase the micro-circulation of blood and support the circulatory system as a whole by stimulating the development of new capillaries which carry oxygen throughout the body.
Proper oxygen supply and flow are essential for the proliferation of cells, protein synthesis, tissue restoration, inflammatory response, and angiogenesis. In addition, circulation is also responsible for waste elimination, specifically degenerated cells.
Nervous System
The nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, neurons, and neural support cells, which is your body’s command center. It controls your movements, automatic responses, and other body systems such as digestion and breathing.
Red light therapy affects the nervous system in the following ways:
For all forms of nerve damage, red light therapy offers non-pharmaceutical treatment options.
Stem Cells
Red light therapy shows impressive results regarding stem cell growth, maximizing the potential of stem cell implantation for various medical needs. Therefore, red light therapy may show positive results after surgery to stimulate stem cells which repair tissues and organs.
In studies, red light therapy has proven to stimulate mesenchymal stem cells in bone marrow, enhancing their ability to reach the brain. This research shows the possibilities of using red light therapy to heal degenerative conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia.
It’s clear red light therapy provides multilevel treatment to the body, becoming a popular natural and holistic option for both professionals and consumers, but where did it come from?
Light therapy technology isn’t new; it’s been around for decades as NASA experimented with red light therapy during the 1980s and 1990s. Over the past 10-20 years, red light therapy reached a breakthrough in LED lighting technology, allowing the production of safe and affordable clinical and at-home devices.
In 2016, Kaiyan Medical became the first leading manufacturer of red light therapy of affordable FDA-approved and MDASAP-approved light therapy devices.
We mentioned red light therapy being a holistic treatment option, but what does that mean. Holistic medicine is a full-body approach to healthcare. By focusing on the body, mind, and soul, the body receives the full support and care it needs to function optimally.
Principles of Holistic Medicine
Holistic medicine is based on the following principles:
The purpose of treatment is to identify the underlying cause of the disease, rather than treating only the symptoms.
While there are endless benefits the body receives from red light therapy, here are the six main benefits.
Photobiomodulation, in other words, red light therapy, has proven effective against carpal tunnel syndrome, mucositis, neck pain, menstrual cramps, temporomandibular joint pain, and neuropathic pain from amputation. It also significantly reduces the pain of hypersensitivity while improving sensorimotor function.
These improvements come after anti-inflammatory cells populate the injured area, providing long-lasting pain relief. In addition, it’s also been shown to provide effective relief by affecting the following:
Red light therapy has proven to be highly effective in rapidly treating wounds from burns, scars, bedsores, ulcers, surgery incisions, and diabetic neuropathy.
NASA strongly supports this claim as this technology was used in treating wounds. Red and near-infrared light proves effective in all four phases of the wound-healing process:
These processes are regulated by various factors connected via nitric oxide (NO) signaling release, adjusted by light energy.
An issue the body encounters when trying to heal a wound is low oxygen flow, and red light increases the flow of oxygen, speeding up the natural healing process. By reducing inflammation and increasing oxygenation of the wounded area, blood vessels can form, rapidly repairing the area, lessening pain and scarring.
By reducing pain, red light therapy eliminates the reliant on pharmaceutical painkillers during the healing process.
The human body receives energy on the cellular level, maintaining communication between organs and ensuring disease resistance.
A strong immune system works to protect the body from harmful bacteria and viruses at all times. With red light therapy, the body receives a boost of support as it releases nitric oxide and melatonin, two components involved in DNA repair and antimicrobial.
This process is called hormesis. Red and near-infrared wavelengths penetrate through the skin into the cells, causing mild metabolic stress, which stimulates cells to activate their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant response.
With the support of red light therapy, the body is better prepared to fight infections. Numerous studies have proven red light therapy to have the following effects on the immune system:
Inflammation in the body can be acute and topical (short-term, resulting from sprains, infections, and accidents) or chronic and general (long-term, caused by ongoing conditions).
Acute inflammation is a healthy bodily response; however, chronic and general inflammation can negatively impact long-term health.
As of today, the current treatment for inflammation is NSAID or steroid drugs, both having a detrimental effect on the healing process and long-term health. Red light therapy stimulates the body to activate its natural healing mechanism, reducing the health risks of long-term drug use.
Red light therapy decreases the number of inflammatory cells, increases fibroblast proliferation (cells that synthesize collagen and other matrix macromolecules), stimulates angiogenesis (creation of new blood vessels), and activates the body’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant response.
The following conditions are connected with chronic and acute inflammation, all proving promising results with red light therapy treatment:
Red light therapy is extremely popular in competitive sports and performance. It offers natural and non-pharmaceutical treatment, which applies to many areas of the body.
Aside from the overwhelming benefits on overall health, red light therapy encourages muscles growth and repair by stimulating the production of ATP, which aids in faster recovery and better performance.
Red light therapy used before training prepares and strengthens the body while aiding muscle recovery after training.
Here are the scientifically documented effects of red light therapy:
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depressions, impacting 5% of Americans, specifically during the winter when there’s less natural sunlight. SAD is also known as seasonal depression or winter blues.
Many people treat SAD symptoms via bright white light treatment, mimicking the sun’s light daily. However, researchers recommend natural light treatment, like red light therapy, to help with light deficiency. Over recent years, physicians recommend red light therapy alongside psychotherapy and medication.
While many people are using red light therapy devices for at-home treatment, red light therapy systems are found in many clinical and professional settings:
Skincare Professionals: Red light therapy is a popular skincare treatment among Hollywood celebrities, including Kourtney Kardashian, Julia Roberts, and Emma Stone. Leading skincare professionals like dermatologists and aestheticians use red light therapy to help promote collagen production, reduce wrinkles, and treat skin conditions.
Health Practitioners: Health practitioners from all specialties are incorporating red light therapy into their practice. Dentists use it to reduce inflammation, physicians for mental health conditions, and oncologists for cancer side effects.
Natural Health Experts: Leading voices in the health and wellness industry such as Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, Ben Greenfield, and Dave Asprey strongly support the use of red light therapy. Paleo and Keto health experts like Robb Wolf, Mark Sisson, Luke Story, and Dr. Anthony Gustin also support red light therapy.
Sports Medicine Pros: The National Sports Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) adopted red light therapy to treat sports injuries. Top trainers and doctors, including Dr. Troy Van Biezen and Dr. Ara Suppiah, use red light therapy to heal their athletes.
Elite Pro Athletes: Professional athletes worldwide, including NFL stars like Patrick Peterson, UFC champion Anthony Pettis, and gold medal gymnast Sanne Weavers use red light therapy to enhance performance and quicken recovery.
Fitness & Training: World-renown fitness trainers, including Lacey Stone and Jorge Cruise, use red light therapy to enhance athletic performance and muscle recovery.
Supportive Cancer Care: The Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) recommends the treatment of red light therapy for oral mucositis (OM), a common symptom of cancer treatment.
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John Foley, David B Vasily, et al. 830 nm light-emitting diode (led) phototherapy significantly reduced return-to-play in injured university athletes: a pilot study. Laser Therapy. 2016 Mar.
Kim HK, Choi JH. Effects of radiofrequency, electroacupuncture, and low-level laser therapy on the wrinkles and moisture content of the forehead, eyes, and cheek. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2017 February.
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Barolet D, Roberge CJ, et al. Regulation of skin collagen metabolism in vitro using a pulsed 660 nm LED light source: clinical correlation with a single-blinded study. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2009 December.
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Based on Washington Post, an estimated 20.3% of Americans (50 million) experience chronic pain, making it seem as if it’s a part of being alive. And while we’ve grown to accept the fact we’ll experience pain at some point, we rarely realize the negative impact pain can have physically and mentally. When ignored or mistreated, acute pain can manifest into chronic pain, bringing along a series of adverse long-term effects. This can create a cycle of pain and can immensely affect one’s ability to use the area in pain. Chronic pain can also develop many health issues, including high blood pressure, fatigue, sleeping problems, and even eating disorders.
When we talk about pain relief, it’s mandatory to bring up pain medications. While this type of pain relief is tempting because of its convenience, it can bring further health complications. Low-risk drugs such as ibuprofen may be harmless at first, but overuse can have adverse health consequences. And opioids are proven to lose effectiveness long-term, making them highly addictive. But then, “how do we manage pain safely and effectively?” One option is the holistic method of red light therapy.
To understand red/infrared treatment clearly, one must first understand what the light spectrum is and how it works. The light spectrum visible to the human eye is just a portion of the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Our eyesight is only able to see wavelengths from 380 to 700 nanometers. Nanometers are units of measurement which measure light. One nanometer equates to one billionth of a meter.
Humans can only see violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red colors on the light spectrum. Humans are not able to see infrared, which is measures in the mid-800s nanometer range. As objects become hotter, they produce more energy which is dominated by shorter wavelengths. Thus, changing colors before our eyes. Flames from a blow torch, for example, transform from red to blue as their temperature increases and wavelengths grow shorter.
Scientists use the light spectrum as a method for measuring the temperature of stars. Our sun produces more yellow light because it has a 5,500 C° temperature. If our sun were cooler, say 3,000 C°, it would have a reddish appearance. If it were 12,000 C°, it would appear to be blue.
One the light spectrum, blue light is measured at 400 to 500 nanometers. This type of light therapy is commonly used for bright light therapy (aka phototherapy). It’s proven to increase alertness, memory, and moods. It’s beneficial for turning off melatonin production to make us feel more alert. It should be noted that too much blue light can cause sleep disorders. It’s recommended to limit electronic usage at night because they emit blue light.
When it comes to blue light therapy, it’s best to proceed with caution. Due to its lower wavelengths and higher energy levels, blue light can cause eye damage. Studies have shown light colors between 415 and 455 nanometers to cause harm to the eyes — standard electronics including TVs, computers, and cell phones produce wavelengths from 400 to 490 nanometers. Additional research is needed to understand the long-term effects.
In comparison to blue light, red light is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Red light is delivered in the mid-600 nanometer range, while infrared is in the mid-800s. Due to its range and longer wavelengths, infrared is invisible to the human eye.
Red and infrared light, commonly used to treat skin and pain conditions, have been proven to be a holistic treatment for:
These types of light are effective because of their ability to penetrate deep into the skin. Red and infrared light promotes melatonin production. This stimulates the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is essential to function properly as it provides our body’s cells with energy. This is why red light therapy products are so effective for speeding up the healing process.
Red light therapy lights are effective because of their ability to reach deep into the skin without damaging it. Red light therapy machines penetrate 2–7 centimeters into inner skin layers using red and infrared light to effectively reach muscles, nerves, and bones. Wavelengths from 700 to 1,000 nanometers are ideal for treating inflammation conditions.
The warmth we feel from the sun is infrared light. Infrared light does not contain ultraviolet radiation, which is harmful to us. Once the skin is penetrated, red and infrared light becomes absorbed by photoreceptors in our body’s cells. This creates a series of metabolic events and natural processes within the cells. When our bodies are exposed to red light therapy, here’s what happens:
When it comes to how red light therapy works and improves our body’s functions, it’s pretty complex. There is still much research required to understand how it works fully, its benefits, and the long-term effects. Yet, our current knowledge shows a promising future for pain relief and holistic health.
Red light therapy has clinically proven to be versatile for treating many pain types, including chronic, joint, neck, osteoarthritis, and more. Because it provides targeted pain relief, it’s incredibly versatile for various conditions. We’ve provided a list of the many pain types red light therapy helps, along with studies.
Because of its general safety, red light therapy can be used at home or anywhere it’s needed. It’s excellent for anyone with chronic pain and can be used as often as it’s needed, up to three times per day per target area.
A study on elderly patients with osteoarthritis in their knees (joints) found red light therapy to treat their pain and disability.
Red light therapy for neck pain is an effective treatment for chronic pain in the neck. One study involving 60 students with chronic neck pain found red light therapy an effective pain relief method. In six weeks, red light therapy increased range of motion, decreased pain, and improved functionality.
By nature, osteoarthritis causes inflammation in affected areas. This makes red light therapy an excellent treatment for osteoarthritis. A study that compared high-intensity light therapy to low-intensity light therapy found both effective decreasing pain and improving function when combined with exercise.
Red light therapy enhances the healing process by boosting the body to lower swelling in target areas. Chiropractors use red light therapy to treat bursitis because it effectively treats this condition.
Healthline reports red light therapy as an effective short-term method for carpal tunnel relief. However, these studies are limited.
45 patients with diabetic foot ulcers, in a study, reported improved blood circulation and autonomous nervous system regulation after using red light therapy.
A study conducted in 2011 on patients with psoriasis compared red and blue light therapy’s effectiveness. Participants were given high-dose treatments three times each week for four hours, applying 10% silicic acid solution to plaques. The study concluded both are effective in treating psoriasis.
It’s been shown that red light therapy reduces pain and stiffness associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Healthcare professionals are now starting to study and consistently use red light therapy to diagnose and analyze this condition. Red light therapy gives them the ability to see how much light passes through the body. RA often alters the number of tissues, water, and blood in the affected area. Red light gives doctors an insight into how it’s progressing.
When treating ailments, red and infrared therapy offers a drug-free, safe, and effective relief method. Extensive studies on red light therapy show it a great source of foot pain relief, back pain relief, and more. As studies move forward, we’ll continue to gain a fuller understanding of red LED light therapy, its capabilities, and the conditions it can treat.
When it comes to recovery for athletes, red light therapy has made significant strides. During the Rio Olympics, the US track team was spotted bringing a $181,000 red light therapy bed to the event. Micheal Hamblin, a Harvard expert, stated, “red light therapy may help you recover from exercise, sleep better, heal wounds and injuries like tendonitis, reduce arthritis.” What’s more, a study involving 65 athletes with varying strains, sprains, tendonitis, ligament damage, and contusions found red light therapy to reduce the average return to play period. This treatment was able to reduce the average recovery time from 19.23 to 9.6 days.
Rats with Osteoporosis experienced enhanced bone repair and growth via red light therapy. This was achieved through stimulation of the newly formed bone, fibro vascularization, and angiogenesis.
With more than 15 years in the light industry, we can help you develop a light therapy device for all the conditions described above.
When summer rolls around, we all head outside, absorbing as many rays as we can. And the proof is in the numbers, with the top five summertime activities being barbeques, going to the beach, attending festivals, going for a hike, and exploring nature. When the sun comes out, people flock to the outdoors with good reason. We need the sun’s rays to survive.
However, many of us go a little overboard. Some lather on tanning oil or skip sunscreen to make sure we receive as much pigmentation as possible. And yes, we need vitamin D, but overexposure leads to sun damage, including sunspots and wrinkles.
However, it doesn’t end there. Neglectful sun exposure can also lead to skin cancer. While the damage has already been done from years of sunbathing and tanning oils, there are ways we can repair sun-damaged skin, reduce wrinkles and sunspots.
It can help repair the sun damage done to our skin and turn back the clock with red light therapy.
What is Sun Damage?
In the end, skin damage comes from overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. When we sunbathe, our skin naturally responds to the sun by protecting itself from UV light. What does our body do? Well, it produces melanin, which darkens the skin to reflect the UV light. So your summer tan is actually a defense mechanism. There are a few different types of sun damage to be aware of:
Melasma: It’s an overproduction of melanin that causes brown or gray patches to form on the skin.
Wrinkles: UV light breaks down the collagen and elastin in the skin, losing its firmness and causing wrinkles.
Sunburn: Sunburns are an inflammatory reaction to UV radiation damage to the skin. The body responds by repairing or removing the damaged cells, which results in redness and peeling.
Sun Spots: Overexposure to UV rays causes an increase of melanin production that builds up in clusters, producing dark spots on the skin.
Actinic Keratosis (AK): Causes a scaly patch of skin on the body from overexposure to UV light. This is particularly dangerous as around 10% of actinic keratosis becomes cancerous.
How Red Light Therapy Reverses Sun Damage
If you’re wondering whether sun damage is reversible or not, the answer is yes. Red light therapy uses infrared and red light to enhance the body’s healing process. Red light therapy increases the body’s collagen, elastin, and immune response; it can remove and repair dead or damaged skin cells.
By increasing collagen production, it’ll help smooth and firm the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Besides, red light therapy also protects existing collagen, which helps keep the skin’s elasticity.
However, red light therapy doesn’t only reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It can also help with more serious skin conditions such as actinic keratosis. It can aid in removing actinic keratosis spots from the skin with photosensitizing medication and red light therapy.
Sun damage is the main cause of aging skin and can lead to serious health issues. Naturally, some sun damage forms cannot be treated, especially for those who work consistently outdoors. However, tackling sunspots, wrinkles, sunburns, and actinic keratosis is achievable through red light therapy treatment.
It’s important to point out that while red light therapy does reverse sun damage, it can prevent future damage — but you should always wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen when outdoors and reapply after swimming or sweating.
Reversing past mistakes are possible with light therapy, but we also want to look at the future. Luna’s red light therapy will tackle previous sun damage and rejuvenate the skin, while sunscreen will prevent future damage.
We hope you continue to enjoy the sun’s incredible rays safely while enjoying the incredible skincare results of Lunas light panels.
For thousands of years, people have used sunlight as a means to aid health and even cure illness. But the concept has gone in and out of favor over the course of time.
Some of the logic related to sunlight began in China around 6,000 BC. At that time, Chinese architects began building homes to face south so that the sun would heat the interior, a practice that continues even today. While windows were likely no more than a gap in the wall at the time, you can still imagine families gathering around to soak up the light and heat. Finally, the trend of solar-heated homes began to catch on in Greece and even Rome. Learn more about solariums.
Then, in the 1900s, research by Augusta Rollier led to the establishment of solaria — buildings designed to optimize exposure to sunlight — throughout Switzerland for the express purpose of sunbathing, which provided impressive results for fighting tuberculosis, smallpox, lupus, and even chronic diseases like arthritis.
But by the middle of the 20th century, the American Cancer Society began demonizing sun exposure as a significant cause of skin cancer.
However, doctors, scientists, and clinical research is demonstrating that consistent exposure to sunlight is actually a critical component of overall health.
Almost all life on earth needs sunlight for many essential functions. It’s hard to ignore its importance for our emotional and physical health as well. We did not evolve in the darkness. The fact that our bodies use UV wavelengths to produce vitamin D has been well established. Read more about vitamin D here.
Several recent studies have come to the conclusion that consistent sunlight exposure actually reduces the chances of getting melanoma, and instead increases the survival rate. Also, throughout the ages, regardless of their geographical location, large groups of people have been exposed to nearly continuous sunlight. We evolved having sunlight.
So why did the melanoma epidemic not hit until the 1970s? And if sunscreen is the solution, why have melanoma rates increased over 200% since 1973 — even while the U.S. sunscreen industry has expanded from $18 million in 1972 to around $2 billion today? It’s hard to believe that sunlight was the major problem, nor sunscreen the solution.
A recent review of many such studies published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention concluded that “there is accumulating evidence for sunlight as a protective factor for several types of cancer.”[5] Sadly, many people still live under the incorrect premise that sunlight is damaging and harmful.
The reality is that we have become so disconnected from natural sunlight that our bodies aren’t equipped to handle its under-appreciated benefits. You may be surprised to learn that as your body gets sunlight in the morning, you can actually prepare your cells for the effects of UV light later in the day. And amazingly, the wavelengths in evening sunlight have a natural repairing effect. That’s because red and infrared wavelengths, which are delivered in higher concentrations in the morning and evening, have the unique ability to boost mitochondrial function. This, in turn, enables our cells to both withstand the stresses — and harness the benefits — of UV light. In addition, exposure to sunlight as the seasons change allows our skin to develop a tan, which also forms a natural protection against the stronger UV wavelengths during the summer months.
So the evidence suggests that sunlight might not be the bad guy, after all, we just need to develop a better understanding of how sunlight affects our bodies, and how to harness its potential to improve our health.
Our retinas are connected directly to the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus gland, which acts as the master circadian pacemaker of the body. Because of this, light received through your eyes plays a critical role in hormonal functions including melatonin production, which regulates our sleep. Quite literally, your body knows to shut off this hormone through exposure to morning sunlight. This type of exposure early in the day also helps produce melatonin later in the evening, when light is absent. Even more amazing, the hypothalamus gland, which is controlled by light, is responsible for controlling body temperature, thirst, hunger, and emotional activity — in addition to regulating your hormones and circadian rhythm!
Dopamine is another chemical that is regulated by light and released in the brain. It functions as a neurotransmitter and is closely tied to the emotions of reward and pleasure. In fact, many addictive drugs increase dopamine neuronal activity. Not surprisingly, studies have demonstrated that light exposure is tied to increased dopamine production. So it’s clear that light received through our eyes plays a much more powerful role than most of us realize.
Getting as much natural sunlight as possible is clearly important. For example, receiving morning sunlight correctly sets your circadian rhythm. However, nowadays, most of us find it challenging to spend hours in the sun — at the right time of day — on a regular basis. Our busy schedules just don’t allow for more time in the sun. In fact, it’s estimated that Americans spend more than 90% of their time indoors.
Because this is the case for most of us, a great way to receive the healthy wavelengths of light is by using a light therapy device. One way to think of red light therapy is as a supplement for your health. Dietary supplements help fill out the vitamins your body needs, and regular red light therapy sessions help fill in the lack of natural light our bodies need.
There are many proven benefits of receiving certain wavelengths of natural sunlight directly through our skin and bodily tissues. One aspect that has received little attention is related to the cellular processes affected by certain wavelengths of light.
Researchers in the field of light therapy, or photobiomodulation (PBM), have discovered some incredibly powerful functions derived from wavelengths of light in the optimal window. Improved mitochondrial function, which impacts virtually all cellular metabolic activity, has been widely demonstrated to improve health in a number of ways — including enhanced muscle recovery, reduced inflammation, increased testosterone, and better overall skin health.
In addition to these clinically-proven benefits, several studies have demonstrated that certain wavelengths of light can increase blood flow and assist in the formation of new capillaries. Dr. Gerald Pollack explores this concept in more detail in his award-winning book, The Fourth Phase of Water.
In conclusion, scientists are really just beginning to understand the crucial role that light plays in our overall health. But recent evidence strongly suggests that exposing our bodies to the right kind of light can lead to some wonderful benefits.
https://www.mcgill.ca/library/files/library/osler-ourfriendsun.pdf.
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Berwick, M., et al. Sun Exposure and Mortality From Melanoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Feb 2;97(3):195–9.
van der Rhee H, Coebergh JW, de Vries E. Sunlight, vitamin D and the prevention of cancer: a systematic review of epidemiological studies. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2009 Nov;18(6):458–75.
Avci, P, et. al. Low-level (light) therapy (LLLT) in skin: stimulating, healing, restoring. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2013 Mar;32(1):41–52.
Cawley, EI, et al. Dopamine and light: dissecting effects on mood and motivational states in women with subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2013 Nov;38(6):388–97.
Ihsan FR. Low-level laser therapy accelerates collateral circulation and enhances microcirculation. Photomed Laser Surg. 2005 Jun;23(3):289–94.
Klepeis NE, Nelson WC, Ott WR, et al. The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol. 2001 May-Jun;11(3):231–52.
Nothing is more important to us on Earth than the Sun. Without the Sun’s heat and light, the Earth would be a lifeless ball of ice-coated rock. The Sun warms our seas, stirs our atmosphere, generates our weather patterns, and gives energy to the growing green plants that provide the food and oxygen for life on Earth.
We know the Sun through its heat and light, but other, less obvious aspects of the Sun affect Earth and society. Energetic atomic particles and X-rays from solar flares and other disturbances on the Sun often affect radio waves traveling the Earth’s ionosphere, causing interference and even blackouts of long-distance radio communications. Disturbances of the Earth’s magnetic field by solar phenomena sometimes induce huge voltage fluctuations in power lines, threatening to blackout cities. Even such seemingly unrelated activities as the flight of homing pigeons, transatlantic cable traffic, and the control of oil flow in the Alaska pipeline apparently are interfered with by magnetic disturbances caused by events on the Sun. Thus, understanding these changes — and the solar events that cause them — is important for scientific, social, and economic reasons.
We have long recognized the importance of the Sun and watched it closely. Primitive people worshiped the Sun and were afraid when it would disappear during an eclipse. Since the early seventeenth century, scientists have studied it with telescopes, analyzing the light and heat that manage to penetrate our absorbing, turbulent atmosphere. Finally, we have launched solar instruments and ourselves-into space to view the Sun and its awesome eruptions in every aspect.
Once we looked at the Sun by the visible light that reached the ground, it seemed an average, rather stable star. It was not exactly constant, but it seemed to vary in a fairly regular fashion, with a cycle of sunspots that comes and goes in about eleven years. Now the Space Age has given us an entirely different picture of the Sun. We have seen the Sun in other forms of light-ultra violet, X-rays, and gamma rays that never reach the ground from space. This radiation turns out to be far more responsive to flare eruptions and other so-called solar activity.
We now see the Sun as a place of violent disturbances, with wild and sudden movements above and below its visible surface. Besides, solar activity's influence seems to extend to much greater distances than we had believed possible. New studies of long series of historical records reveal that the Sun has varied in the past in strange and unexplained ways. Scientists wonder how such variations might affect the future climate on Earth.
We have obtained a clearer picture of the scope of the Sun’s effects. Its magnetic field stretches through interplanetary space to the outer limits of the solar system. Steady streams and intense storms of atomic particles blow outward from the Sun, often encountering our Earth's atmospheres and the other planets. The spectacular photos of the Earth from space show only part of the picture. Instruments carried on satellites reveal a wide variety of invisible phenomena — lines of magnetic force, atomic particles, electric currents, and a huge geocorona of hydrogen atoms — surrounding the Earth. Each is as complex and changing as the visible face of the globe. The Earth’s magnetic field extends tens of thousands of miles into space, and many different streams of electrons and protons circulate within it. Huge electric currents flow around the Earth, affecting their high-altitude surroundings as well as our environment at ground level.
Space observations have greatly expanded our ability to look at the Sun, interplanetary space, and the Earth's immediate surroundings. We can now “see” many phenomena that are completely undetectable from the Earth’s surface, and we now have a much better, more complete, and more coherent picture of how events in one part of our solar system relate to activity in another.
We sometimes forget that there is one star that is easily visible in the day time: our Sun. The Sun is the only star close enough to be studied in detail, but we are confident that all the processes in the Sun must also occur in billions of distant stars throughout the universe. To understand the nature and behavior of other stars, we must first understand our own. At the same time, observations of other kinds of stars help put the Sun in perspective.
The Sun is a relatively typical star among the approximately 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy. The masses of most other stars that we see range from approximately one-tenth of the mass of the Sun to about 30 solar masses. The surface temperatures of most stars range from about 2000° C to 40,000° C. Although the Sun is somewhat on the cool side at about 6000° C, hot stars are rare, and most normal stars are cooler than the Sun. Compared to some of the explosive stars — novae, and supernovae — which sometimes appear in the sky, the Sun is stable and ordinary.
This long-term stability of our Sun probably was crucial for the development of life on Earth. Biologists believe that a relatively stable average temperature had to prevail on Earth during the past 3 billion years for life to evolve to its present state. The relative stability of the Sun is also important to astronomers trying to understand the basic nature of it and other stars. Violent activity in the Sun could mask the more subtle and long-enduring processes, which are the basic energy transport mechanisms of our star. Fortunately, they are not hidden, and we have been able to map the trend in solar properties with height above the visible surface.
Above the minimum temperature region in the photosphere, we have measured how the gas gets hotter as it thins out with height. The chromosphere and corona, each hotter than the layer below, are warmed by the transfer of energy from below through processes that are still not well understood.
Until space observations became possible, we knew nothing about coronae in any other stars and had only marginal information about stellar chromospheres' properties. Now, space observations have shown us that a large fraction of the stars in the sky have chromospheres and coronae.
On several dozen stars, we have even detected activity that may be connected with sunspot (or “starspot”) cycles like those of our own Sun. X-ray telescopes carried on satellites have recorded flares in other stars that are far more powerful than the already impressive flares of the Sun. By observing the strength and frequency of these events on stars with masses, ages, and rotation rates which differ from those of the Sun, we search for answers to such basic questions as: “How does the sunspot cycle period depend on the star’s rotation rate?” or “What is the relation between the temperature of a star’s corona and the strength of its magnetic field?” By deciphering the general pattern of stellar properties, we can better understand what makes things happen on the Sun.
The Sun presents us with a bewildering variety of surface features, atmospheric structures, and active phenomena. Sunspots come and go. The entire Sun shakes and oscillates in several different ways at the same time. Great eruptions called prominences hang high above the Sun’s surface for weeks, suspended by magnetic force, and sometimes shoot abruptly into space from the corona. The explosions called solar flares emit vast amounts of radiation and atomic particles in short periods of time, often with little or no warning.
Space observations have discovered many new aspects of solar events hidden from ground-based observatories—the Sunshine's hottest spots primarily in ultraviolet and X-rays, rather than in visible light. Thus, only from space can we map high-temperature solar flares' true structure and determine their physical conditions. Space observatories have shown us the higher, hotter layers of the Sun’s atmosphere that normally are invisible from the ground. Instruments on satellites revealed that in flares and other violent disturbances, the Sun acts like an atomic accelerator, driving electrons and protons to velocities approaching the speed of light. At such high speeds, the particles emit the high-energy X-rays and gamma rays measured by our satellites. Sometimes they even induce nuclear reactions on the surface of the Sun.
Two aspects of our improved knowledge of the Sun deserve special attention. One is the role of magnetic fields in determining virtually all aspects of the Sun’s upper atmosphere's structure and behavior. The other is discovering the solar wind, a stream of atomic particles that constantly evaporate from the Sun’s atmosphere and are accelerated to speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second, escaping into space in all directions.
For any solar particle to reach the Earth, it must first pass through the Earth’s magnetic field. Before the solar wind was discovered, the Earth’s field was thought to be symmetrical, resembling a huge bar magnet, fading off indefinitely into space. However, we now know that the solar wind shapes the Earth’s magnetic field's outer regions and is sharply bounded. Outside the boundary, space is dominated by the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field. Inside the boundary is the region or magnetosphere dominated by the Earth’s magnetic field. The measurements from many space missions have been combined to reveal that the solar wind blows out the Earth’s magnetosphere into a teardrop shape. The head of the drop extends only about 10 Earth radii, or about 65,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) “upwind” toward the Sun. The tail of the drop stretches away in the direction opposite the Sun, actually reaching beyond the Moon’s orbit. This long magnetotail extends more than 600,000 kilometers (370,000 miles) from the Earth.
At the boundary of the magnetosphere, there is a constant struggle between the Earth's magnetic field and the forces of the Sun. Buffeted by fluctuations in the solar wind velocity and density, the magnetosphere’s size and shape are continuously changing. When the solar wind strikes the magnetosphere, shock waveforms are analogous to the sonic boom preceding a supersonic airplane. Inside the boundary with the solar wind, the magnetosphere remains an active region. It contains two belts of very energetic charged atomic particles trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field hundreds of miles above the atmosphere. These belts were discovered by Professor James Van Allen of the University of Iowa and his colleagues in 1958, using simple radiation detectors carried by Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite.
The structure of the Earth’s magnetosphere also controls aurorae's behavior, seen in our night skies. Pre-Space Age textbooks stated that aurorae are produced by photons emitted from the Sun and reach the Earth’s upper atmosphere through gaps in the Earth’s magnetic field at the north and south magnetic poles. According to the theory, these protons strike oxygen atoms in the atmosphere, and the collisions cause the glow, which we call the Northern Lights.
This view has changed in the Space Age. The data collected by many spacecraft showed that the situation is more complicated. Particles from both the solar wind and from the Earth’s atmosphere apparently are stored in the magnetotail. From there, they periodically are violently ejected into the northern and southern polar regions of the atmosphere along the Earth’s magnetic field. They are accelerated to high speeds by a process not yet fully explained. The magnetotail is, in effect, a reservoir of particles that is periodically refilled. When the Sun is active during maximum sunspot years, this process is especially intense and frequent, and the aurorae are brighter and move closer to the equator.
The quick answer is no, sunscreen doesn’t block infrared light, and you don’t need to block it.
The wavelengths of UV coming from the sun are classified as UV-A (320–400 nm), UV-B (290–320 nm), and UV-C (100–290 nm). UV-C has the highest energy, making it the most dangerous of the three-wavelength types. Luckily, the earth’s ozone layer protects UV-C (light that is even higher energy than UV is absorbed by nitrogen in the atmosphere), leaving UV-A and UV-B wavelengths to be of concern. The high energy of photons of UV light can penetrate the skin and trigger damaging reactions within the skin’s DNA or excite other chromophores present in the skin to form reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Ninety-five percent of UV radiation that reaches the earth’s surface is UV-A radiation. UV-A radiation triggers the tanning reactions in the skin, as the skin darkens in an attempt to protect itself from further damage. UV-A plays a major role in skin aging. It also causes damage to the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin) and is a factor in developing skin cancers.
Wavelength: 320–400 nm.
Effects: Tanning, Premature skin aging, Skin cancer.
Protection: Avobenzone (Parsol 1789), Ecamsul (Mexoryl), Zinc oxide.
Wavelength: 290–320 nm.
Effects: Vitamin D production, Sunburn, Cataracts, Genetic damage, Skin cancer.
Protection: Oxybenzone, Homosalate, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Titanium dioxide.
Wavelength: 100–290 nm
Effects: Cellular decomposition
Protection: Ozone in the lower stratosphere
A sunscreen product’s efficacy is commonly indicated by its “sun protection factor” or SPF. The SPF indicates how long it will take for UV-B rays to begin to redden the skin. Skin coated with an SPF 15 sunscreen will take 15 times longer to redden than without the sunscreen.
Infrared waves, or infrared light, are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. People encounter Infrared waves every day; the human eye cannot see them, but humans can detect them as heat. The remote control uses light waves beyond the visible spectrum of light — infrared light waves — to change channels on your TV.
Sunscreens do not shield skin from any infrared rays. Topical antioxidants should help shield the skin. Ignore the chatter about infrared. Ignore the sunscreens which claim to block infrared.
Focus on protecting your skin from UVA and UVB using a broad-spectrum sunscreen and physically keeping the sun off your skin with clothing, a hat, and shade. Yes, wear UPF 50 clothing and a sun hat when outdoors. Head for the shade or create it. Apply mineral zinc oxide-based sunscreen to exposed skin not covered by UV-blocking clothing. There is no controversy with these recommendations, and your skin will look great and stay strong for your lifetime if you protect it from UV exposure.
Daniel Barolet, François Christiaens, and Michael R Hamblin, Infrared and Skin: Friend or Foe, J Photochem Photobiol B. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2016 Feb; 155: 78–85.
Laura Hudson Eyman Rashdan Catherine A. Bonn Bhaven Chavan David Rawlings Mark A. Birch‐Machin, Individual and combined effects of the infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light components of solar radiation on damage biomarkers in human skin cells, The FASEB Journal, Volume34, Issue3, March 2020, 3874–3883 https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201902351RR
